In Which the Ride Has Both Sunshine and Snow

Early in the ride, a cardinal takes wing. He had been sitting on the trail.

Sky overhead is blue, but looking more interesting to the north which is the direction I'm going in.

What could that white blur in the not-too-far distance be?

It was cold today in Iowa, the start of a few days of freezing lows and high temperatures that are not a lot higher. Today the cold front was rolling through and the main weather feature was a chilly wind from the west.

Still, the sun was shining, and while it was in the 30s, I ride in much colder weather each winter, so I dressed for the weather and got the road bike out.

The sky had some blue and some clouds, and the wind was definitely brisk. It was the kind of Monday where social distance was not difficult to achieve—not a lot of people were out.

I had ridden north to Lafayette, a tiny village 7 miles north of Hiawatha on the Cedar River Trail. Today, my goal was to go on beyond Lafayette to the next destination, the small town of Center Point, 13 miles north of Hiawatha.

North of Lafayette, I saw a very dark cloud heading my way. And then the blowing wind became not just wind, but wind with nature’s dandruff—snow pelting down.

Snow.

Snow selfie at depot in Center Point.

As frozen water from the sky goes, snow is not the worst news for a biker. It beats heck out of hail, for example. There is also sleet—nasty little ice pellets that sting. This was blowing in a 30-mph wind, so it had some force, but it was tiny, soft flakes. The sting factor was more from temperature than from collision, and that’s OK with me.

The trail started to be difficult to see—my glasses were getting all covered in droplets, and the snow was getting thick enough to slightly obscure the world. I was a bit worried about the slickness of the asphalt surface—I was sure it was too warm to form ice, but a thin layer of cold water on asphalt might still be a recipe for a slip on a road bike.

I made it to the depot in Center Point, and the snow was starting to slack off. I was going to wait in the cover of the depot, but it’s closed for the season. Still, the roof overhang kept me out of the worst of it, and I climbed off the bike to take a short break (and a selfie—my sister labeled it the “abominable Joe man” on Facebook).

During the time it took me to post an image on my phone to Instagram, the snow stopped. The pavement quickly dried.

The cold wind did not die down, but since it was from the north and west, it was a help on the way home.

On the way back south from Center Point. I bet cows by the trail appreciate the low late afternoon sun rather than the snow.

Sky has changed.

Blooming bush by trail.

When I got back to Hiawatha, I heard the sound of a train horn. A track crosses the trail south of the trailhead parking lot, and the front of the train rumbled by as I approached the crossing.

Well, all things considered, having to wait a few minutes for a train was not all that bad. By then, no snow was falling, so it was OK.

And I got to make lots of images of folk art on the train cars.

What greets me on the trail south of the Hiawatha trail parking lot.

Several views of graffiti on train cars.

 

Ride summary--34 1/2 miles.